Fusion Center Essay

Fusion centers play an essential role in the fight against terrorism by providing a central point so that various criminal justice agencies can coordinate activities both during the investigation of potential terrorist activity as well as in the aftermath of a terrorist attack. Fusion centers are hubs that share information and provide comprehensive and suitable access, analysis, and dissemination that no other single partner can offer. In addition, The National Network of Fusion Centers brings critical perspective and value to homeland security and law enforcement that no other federal or local organization can replicate.

As defined by the Fusion Center Guidelines a fusion center is a “collaborative effort of two or more agencies that provide

• Maintain an up-to-date statewide risk assessment.

• Serve as a receipt-and-dissemination hub for law enforcement information provided by federal entities, such as that provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Regional Data Exchange (R-DEx) and National Data Exchange (N-DEx), when operational, and DHS’s Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN).

The areas mentioned can be lengthened to contain a number of critical tasks and responsibilities. To effectively attain these goals, the first responder and private community, along with the public, must share the concept of the fusion center. A key component of a fusion center is the integration of nontraditional consumers of information and intelligence. The duties of fusion centers are enormous. In order to assist in establishing and operating fusion centers, guidelines, as well as sample policies and templates, must be

The sizes range from small three-person offices to massive centers with a staff of 250 officers, agents and analysts. President of the National Fusion Center Association, and director of the Northern California Regional Intelligence Center Mike Sena says that of the 78 centers, 49 are state centers, another 26 operate in major urban areas and three are territorial. Inconsistent funding is a major strategic problem. “It’s hard to run an operation like this when you don’t know what your budget will be,” Sena says. “There’s no real funding strategy across the board” (PETERITAS, B., 2013,